Why We Built Readymade - Part 1
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how it led you to start Readymade?
Bhavik:
- Worked in tech
- Shifted to RE
- Retail combined a lot of my favorite things
- Polymath
- Contrarian approach
What inspired you to create a company that specializes in launching and operating pop-up shops, retail stores, and unique experiences?
Bhavik:
- 3rd generation retail entrepreneur - grandfathers owned and operated restaurants and sweet shops. Father developed and operated a leading bulk food franchise.
What do you see as the advantages of working with a company like Readymade to launch and scale an IRL venture?
Bhavik:
- Less risk
- Own your retail channels or keep it outsourced depending on your resources and retail strategy
- Move at the right pace for your brand and business
Can you walk us through the process of launching a pop-up shop or retail store with Readymade?
Bhavik:
- Strategy, RE, design, build, setup, market, launch, operate & market!
- We build custom project teams that match up with the bespoke project scope and budget.
How do you ensure that the pop-up shops and retail stores you launch are successful for your clients?
Bhavik:
- Strong operational procedures
- Over-communicative teams
- A clean handoff from the development team to the retail operations team
- Marketing! Use analogy about tree falling in the middle of a forest, did anyone hear it.
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced in launching and operating pop-up shops and retail stores, and how have you overcome them?
Bhavik:
- COVID-19 pandemic
- Staffing issues
- Theft
How has the retail industry changed since you launched Readymade, and how have you adapted to these changes?
Bhavik:
- More focused on customer experience
- More experimental - pop-ups, experiences, activations
- No longer is the goal to have hundreds of stores for many brands. With eCommerce, marketplaces, and other advancements, brick and mortar retail can be much more strategic and not require as large of a footprint.
- eCommerce - omnichannel experience is so important and what separates the best brands from the rest.
What do you see as the future of retail, and how do you see Readymade fitting into this future?
Bhavik:
Can you share any success stories or memorable experiences from your time working with clients to launch pop-up shops or retail stores?
Bhavik:
- NFT NYC 2022 where all 3 partners were on the ground together
- Launching Birthdate.co’s Nolita pop-up in 1 month!
- Opening and operating 15 pop-ups for Moose Knuckles over the course of the pandemic
- Working with KOTN to minimize risk during COVID and now helping them expand with new stores
Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to launch a pop-up shop or retail store?
Bhavik:
